The White House blamed the incident on high winds and a "misstep."
March 19, 2021, 6:30 PM
• 3 min read
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articlePresident Joe Biden’s trip to Georgia Friday got off to a rocky start when he tripped multiple times jogging up the steps to Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews.
In the span of three seconds, the 78-year-old president fell three times, each time placing his left hand down to catch himself while holding onto the railing with his right hand, eventually falling onto his left knee midway up the steps.
This combination of pictures created on March 19, 2021 shows President Joe Biden continuing up the steps after tripping while boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
As he stood up, Biden paused and appeared to adjust the bottom of his pant leg before continuing to lightly jog and then walk up the remainder of the steps. He turned to give a salute before entering the cabin.
White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president was doing "just great" and blamed the incident on wind gusts.
"It's pretty windy outside, it's very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100% fine," she said.
President Joe Biden salutes as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on March 19, 2021.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield also tweeted that Biden did not require any attention from the medical team on board.
"Nothing more than a misstep on the stairs," she said.
Jean-Pierre said Biden was continuing to prepare for his trip to Atlanta where he is expected to visit the Centers for Disease Control and meet with leaders of the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community.
Biden recently recovered from a foot injury he sustained while playing with his dog Major in November. He suffered hairline fractures to his right foot and wore a boot for a brief period, but was cleared by his physician on Feb. 6.
